A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America California vs. Montana for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit California or Montana?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for California and Montana. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: California or Montana?

California

California is the most populous state in the U.S. and is known for a variety of attractions such as Hollywood, warm beaches, the San Francisco bay area, Redwood trees, national parks, and stunning mountain vistas. With a variety of locations and activities to offer, California has become one of the premier travel destinations in the world.

Montana

Often called Big Sky Country for its vast blue skies, Montana is a state in the northwestern United States characterized by beautiful sweeping scenery from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the flatter prairie regions of the east. Some of the top attractions include Glacier National Park, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Yellowstone, and of course the Rocky Mountains.

Which place is cheaper, Montana or California?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in California is $252, while the average daily cost in Montana is $0.00. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for California and Montana in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    California $116
    Montana -
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    California $232
    Montana $0.00
Compare Hotels in California and Montana

Looking for a hotel in California or Montana? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in California


Hotels in Montana


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    California $43
    Montana -

Hired Cars and Shuttles in California

Also for California, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • World Cruise Center to Long Beach Airport(LGB)-Departure Transfer: $66
  • World Cruise Center to Long Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $121
  • World Cruise Center to Long Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $60
  • World Cruise Center to Long Beach - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
  • Universal Studios to Long Beach Airport (LGB) - Departure Private Transfer: $80
  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in San Diego HTL-APT(SAN): $47
  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in San Diego APT-HTL(SAN): $47
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco HTL-APT (SFO): $119
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco APT-HTL (SFO): $141
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Los Angeles HTL-APT (LAX): $111
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Los Angeles APT-HTL (LAX): $111
  • Transfer private minivan from Los Angeles Airport( LAX)- City Downtown : $70

Is it cheaper to fly into California or Montana?

Prices for flights to both Montana and California change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    California $48
    Montana -

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in California

For California, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
  • Thai Cooking Class in Fullerton near Disneyland California: $66
  • Pirates Dinner Adventure Buena Park: $69
  • Encinitas Food Tour: $70
  • Carlsbad Food Tour and Wine Tasting: $70
  • San Francisco: Mission District Small Group Mural Art and Food Tour: $79
  • San Diego Vegan Food Tour: $85
  • Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour - Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $85
  • LA Venice Beach Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $85
  • San Francisco North Beach and Chinatown - Secret Food Tours: $86
  • San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $86
  • Mission: Street Art & Food Tour in San Francisco: $89

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montana

For Montana, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Glacier National Park: Whitewater Rafting with Dinner: $113

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    California $63
    Montana -

Tours and Activities in California

For California, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 5 Days Road Trip Tour from LA to Las Vegas: $1,470
  • 5-Hour Limo Tour of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Venice and Malibu!: $1,180
  • 50 Minute Hollywood & Beaches Helicopter Tour: $485
  • 8 Day Tour Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Yellowstone and Grand Teton: $1,291
  • 8-Hour Private Boat Tour on Lake Tahoe: $2,810
  • Best Alcatraz Island and Silicon Valley Tour : $564
  • Guided Hiking Tour in Big Bear with Sunset Champagne toast on Private Dock: $55
  • Maritime Museum of San Diego Admission Ticket: $24
  • PS I Love You Palm Springs Immersive Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $35
  • Private Tour of Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterey & Carmel from San Francisco: $2,234
  • Rudolph's Holiday Lights Tour of San Diego: $56
  • San Francisco City Half-Day Private Custom Tour: $391

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    California $21
    Montana -

Sample the Local Flavors in California

Also in California, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Sacramento Bar Hunt: Sacramento Sprint Bar Crawl: $12
  • Long Beach Bar Hunt: Long Beach Boss Bar Crawl: $12
  • San Jose Bar Hunt: Sweet San Jose Bar Crawl: $12
  • San Diego Bar Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
  • Halloween Bar Crawl in Pacific Beach: $30
  • San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $35
  • LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
  • Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco: $45
  • 2 to 3 Hour Bar Crawl in Castro San Francisco: $49
  • Private Self-Guided Wine Tasting Tour in Sonoma: $50
  • Wine Tasting Around the World: $51
  • Northern Italian Private Wine Tasting Experience in San Francisco: $60


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between California and Montana, we can see that California is more expensive. And not only is Montana much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Montana would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Montana and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in California would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in California than you might in Montana.

Which is Bigger, California or Montana?

California is bigger, and its population is about 39.1 times larger than the population of Montana. When comparing the population of California vs. Montana, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit and the activities that interest you.

Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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California vs. Montana Travel Comparison

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